1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for bagging goods, such as bundles of wood, in stretchable bags.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some wood products, such as rectangular bundles of lumber strips, need to be protected from the environment and stored in a way such as to preserve an appropriate degree of humidity and prevent UV rays from damaging the wood.
In the past, various bagging apparatus have been developed to load agricultural products into stretchable plastic tube. However, there is still a need for a new apparatus and method for providing effective and convenient bagging or sheathing of rigid wood products into stretchable bags or the like.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for wrapping material, such as bundles, into stretchable bags.
It is also an aim of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is of sturdy construction.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is reliable and which offers convenience in use.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for bagging material into a stretchable bag having an open end. The apparatus comprises a movable bag stretching structure displaceable between a first position for receiving the bag and a second position for holding the bag in a stretched state. The apparatus further includes at least two bag gripping members for turning the bag inside out over the movable bag stretching structure while the same is in its first position. An actuator is provided for displacing the bag stretching structure towards a facing side of the material while the bag is held in a stretched state thereon such that a continuous movement of the bag stretching structure about the material causes the bag to be gradually inverted on the material after the bag has engaged the facing side of the material.
In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for wrapping a bundle into a stretchable bag having an open end and an opposed closed end, comprising the steps of: fitting the bag about a stretching structure, stretching the bag by operation of said stretching structure, and wrapping the bundle into the taut bag by inverting the bag onto the bundle.